Totsugeki! Full House
by Heinell no Miko
Summary: Eldoran anime series; Class of the Titans Hinobori wasn't quite prepared with the coming of a foreign teacher, whose coming inevitably changes the life of his students. Rated for moderately strong language.
1. Arrival among the Cherry blossom trees

Standard disclaimers: Zettai Muteki Raijin-oh and the rest of the Eldoran series is copyright by Sunrise, while Class of the Titans is copyright by Studio B Productions. This literature is meant solely for fan expression of the respective series and is not meant to be profited from.

* * *

_Springtime comes. The cherry blossoms are in bloom, signifying the start of spring, the start of the second term, the passing of seasons and time...the force that changes everything in all living things, both physically and mentally. In other words...everything's starting to get boring._

Sighing, Koji briefly looked around before he proceeded with writing his journal. _Time sure has changed a lot of things, except us. In fact, even in the seventh grade, we have ended up with each other yet again. Of course, I'm glad that these people that i have shared an important part of my life with are still here but I will inevitably get tired with them. And that's what I don't want to happen._

Stopping for a while, he leafed to the front part of the journal to briefly contemplate the picture taped on it: the all-too-familiar, towering structure that is the mecha Raijin-oh; after which, he went back to writing the rest of his entry.

_It seems like a dream, a fantasy made up by every kid our age back then, which became the hard reality for our class. We, along with other children like ourselves from nearby towns, were chosen to pilot mecha and save the world from various beings who want to do harm. But it all went back to being a dream, when one day, not only our medallions, but also all of the robots, all disappeared without a trace; and Hinobori Elementary's school buildings have gone back to normal. But no. All of the people in the city cannot have the same dream. Somehow, I guess that Eldoran may have deemed it best not to take away our memory of Raijin-oh, so we may not forget the lessons that we have learned. But have we really learned everything? Have we changed? Right now, Jin and Maria are arguing yet again over trivial things like a married couple, Asuka's still the groupie whore that he always is, Yoko and Reiko haven't grown an inch, Akira's still stuck to his guitar...we did not change for the better at all. It's worse that having our memories of the battles taken away._

"Still on angst mode?"

Koji was startled when he saw Jin peering over his shoulder. "You know it's rude to peer over people's shoulders!" he went.

"That is, if we're not on first-name terms. But c'mon, you're writing another wishy-washy entry in your diary again?"

"I'm not as shallow as you are" Koji sighed, as he brushed off his razzled brown locks from his forehead. "I have things that I value, which I'm afraid is beyond your comprehension."

"Spare me your emo-shot." Jin bluntly cut him off, and went on, "Hey, have you heard the news? Takagi-sensei's not gonna be our homeroom teacher for this term!"

"So I heard." "I wonder who our new teacher is?" Jin drooled as he said, "I hope it's a hawt sexay babe with big hooters. Hoohoohooo!"

Maria gave him a knock on the head as she muttered, "Riiiiight. Get the author of this fic a lawsuit for plagiarism and a lashing from the fansnobs."

"OW!!Why should you care?!"

As the two went in another pointless argument, Koji let out yet another sigh and looked out the window. "They're hopeless." He was in that state when suddenly, he noticed an unusual sight at the entrance of the Hinobori Middle School's gates. "Hey guys, look at the..." but seeing the two were occupied with giving each other the Nelson, Koji shook his head and said, "Never mind," and continued staring at the aforementioned sight.

_A foreigner? What's he doing here?_

* * *

It's really hard to tell if there is uncertainty in him, as he made his way towards the school. Not from his straight, unwavering gaze; his slow but sure footsteps; and his relaxed, yet upright posture. All of that had even managed to get the attention of some of the people around him, and that alone double the uncertainty in him even more. Yes, he is uncertain. As to whether he can do this job properly or not, and if his assigned class will like him or not.

_This is Japan. A totally different land; with its own people, its own mindset, its own rules. I dunno. Can I really pull this off?_

As he stepped right in front of the gates, he looked up and marveled at the sight of the massive clumps of cherry blossoms on the branches above, and the soft petals gracefully flying all over, as they fell to the ground below. Looking down and setting his gaze forward, he walked on, letting the pink rain cover his way in.

_Well, here I am. Here goes nothing._

* * *

As the student population of Hinobori Middle School gathered in the school gym for yet another speech from the principal, it can't be denied that most of the young audience have their minds wandering, unmindful of all the pomp and pageantry in presenting the current batch of new teachers and homeroom advisers.

"Hasn't ours been announced yet?" Jin asked, as he yawned and blinked sleepily.

"Strange" said Maria, " Even the third years' new teachers had been announced. I wonder why ours hasn't been on yet?"

"Maybe it's not true that we're not gonna have a new teacher," Asuka suggested.

"But I haven't seen Takagi-sensei around," said Koji.

"Who knows," said Jin, "Maybe we won't have any." To which Maria retorted, "Fat chance, lazybutt!"

Then, the audience quieted down a little when the principal said, "Now, I know that you people there in Class 1-C are dying to know who your new homeroom teacher is. I had made the announcement of yours the last, since what you're gonna be having is not quite the usual."

The class' attention was brought to the forefront and looked eager at the news, save for Jin, as he played out his "devil-may-care" part quite unconvincingly. "This better be good,"he said.

Seeing that he got most of the audience's attention, the principal continued, "As you might have noticed, most schools here in Tokyo had been active lately in foreign exchange programs, and our school is no exception. Yes, you heard it right; right now we will be having; not an exchange student, but an exchange teacher."

The whole gymnasium thundered with all the shock and bewilderment over the news. Of course, Class 1-C got the most shock. "F-f-foreign TEACHER??" sputtered Jin.

"Betcha didn't see that coming," said Asuka, to which Jin shot back, "look who's talking. Your eyes are out of their sockets!"

Wearing faces of shock the students excitedly yammered amongst themselves. The teachers of course, knew this beforehand, but also wore the corresponding expressions of the sentiments of every one of them; some with the same excitement as the students, albeit in a more subdued manner; others with uncertain glances, and quite a few scowls of disapproval mixed with resignation, knowing that no matter how they felt about the whole thing, they can't do anything about it. Finally, the principal, spoke up, silencing the audience. "The Education Board, in case you don't know yet, has signed a UNICEF sponsored deal with the international community. The goal of this program is to get the teachers of the world get exposed to the education environment outside their own countries. But enough of that, since you're not interested with the technicals, and I can see that you are eager to meet this esteemed guest of ours from overseas. Let's not waste time, considering that he came all the way from Canada just for this."

"A Canadian for our homeroom teacher huh?"sighed Koji, as he heard the excited talking of the people around him.

"I hope...he doesn't look like...a scary lumberjack," stammered the diminutive, frail-looking Yoko as she clung onto Hiroshi, who said, "Oh come on now. No way would be a lumberjack-type person would ever bother to become a teacher."

"Shh!" went Maria, as the principal continued, "Okay, without any further ado, I will present to you...Hinobori's first ever forex teacher."

Everybody held their breaths as they trailed their eyes onto the person in question, as he slowly entered the stage. The news of his arrival was enough of a shock, but they weren't prepared for the second shock they were about to receive; the shock over his unexpected appearance,which came closer in full view as he went towards the center of the stage and in front of the microphone stand. Briefly, he turned to the principal who gave him the go ahead, after which, he turned to the audience."Good morning everybody," he said slowly,

"...first of all, my name is Jay Star. Yoroshiku onegaishimas."

All of the students murmured, as they marveled at the newcomer's appearance, particularly the girls, who playfully elbowed the females of class 1-C. "You're sooooooo lucky!! He's very handsome!!"

"Give me a break!" muttered Maria, "although, I gotta admit that he's kinda cute."

Asuka wore an unimpressed look as he said, "Sure, he's a looker. But he looks awful young. I doubt if he can seriously handle us."

"There you go again..." said Maria, "Hey Jin, try to tell that ego-maniac friend of yours..." But she was cut off when she saw that Jin wasn't wearing his usual lively countenance, and was wearing a sober look, which was emphasized by the serious, intense look of mistrust that could be seen from his dark crimson orbs as they were focused intently on the person speaking onstage, who continued, "I'd like to thank you for letting me have the privilege of participating in the forex program. I'm assuring all of you that I won't disappoint you, especially those of you in the class that I'm assigned to handle. I have learned what I can about this country; from the language down to its people; but I'm gonna be honest about the fact that I'm not familiar with your ways that was not listed in the books and on the Net. Not to mention that I'm not exactly...that well-versed in kanji, since I was studying your written language for only about six years." saying this, he briefly scratched his head and blushed slightly as he said, "So please, bear with me."

"What a rip-off he is then!" said the red-dyed, punk-looking Akira.

"He's not gonna handle calligraphy classes, that's for sure," said Asuka, "But I'm not about to call him a rip-off...yet."

"I don't think that matters now," said Koji, as he motioned to the females around him who chatted excitedly and gawked at the newcomer, who was visibly flustered with all the attention given to him

"You heard him," The principal finally spoke up, "so I expect all of you to treat him nicely and make things easy for him during his stay here."

After a few more closing remarks, the principal concluded the assembly and everyone went to wherever they were supposed to be. Hearing the female population's raving over the forex teacher's good looks, and seeing Jin's mistrustful look, Koji knew right away that the newcomer's anything but ordinary.

_Time seems to be moving for us again,_ he thought, as he joined the ranks of the student populace that went to their respective classrooms.


	2. My longest six months

"This is simply unbelievable. Almost like a dream. Getting such a hunk for our homeroom teacher; wow! I don't care what subject he's going to handle; as long as I can see him the whole hour!"

"Kirara, don't tell me that you're quitting being Asuka's fan? Well,that's an advantage to me..." "Reiko you sneak! Of course I'm still his number one fan! It's not as if I'm going after an older guy!" "Well,I can't blame you. Honestly, I think he's cute too!"

The students of Class 1-C chatted wildly amongst themselves, as they awaited the start of the day's class. It's very obvious that the predominant subject of their conversations was their new teacher and his good looks. Even the boys' talk was no exception. "Hear that Asuka? Looks like someone's out to get your throne as the school hunk!" Akira teased, to which Asuka replied, "Don't be ridiculous. You heard Kirara; it's not as if they're gonna go after him like that. It's even good that they have some kind of distraction; so I can focus on more important things like...being the all around ace of this school," saying this, Asuka did his trademark hairflick.

"Still the narcissist,as ever," Koji sighed, as Akira rolled his eyes. Noticing something unusual, Koji looked back and saw Jin,who was the eternal loudmouth of the class, was totally silent the whole time. "Hey, what's up? Usually, you'll be shooting off your mouth at a time like this."

"He's been like that ever since he saw that guy," said Maria, "Tell me something Jin; do you know him from before?"

"Why'd you ask that?" the spikehead finally said.

"Why shouldn't I? With the way you looked at him, it's as if...as if he's done something to you..." "No,I don't know him." "Then why?"

Jin fell silent for a few more seconds before finally saying, "I don't know him. Precisely why I don't trust him. More so that he's a foreigner."

"But Jin..." Maria tried to ask him more on why so, but seeing that mistrustful look yet once again, she just turned away and went back to her desk. "You know what Maria?" said Yuu, who sat in the desk next to her, "I think Jin feels threatened by our new teacher."

"But how can that be, since he doesn't know him yet?"asked Maria.

"Well, it's not in how you know a person," said Yuu, as she fidgeted her long braids, "See, there are certain types of personalities that interact strongly with one another, whether negatively or positively. So there are times that two people don't know each other, yet they already have a strong feeling for each other's presence." "So that means the new guy may not like him as well?" "Not necessarily. But one thing's for sure; Jin has a strong personality, so for him to feel strongly of the new teacher, it's very likely that he has a strong personality as well."

"Is that so?"Maria was deep in thought, an was in that state when the bells rang, heralding the start of the school period. At that, everybody ran back to their places and sat down, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new teacher.

After a few more suspense-filled moments, the object of the class' anxiety finally entered the room. Breaths were held, minds were cleared, as the class watched the new teacher walk to the table, lay down his teaching paraphernalia, take the students' records from it and faced them. Having done so, he proceeded with the routine roll call. After he had done so, he laid down the records ad faced the class, and was met with silent stares.

And after a few more moments of silence,he finally said, "Whoa. I have been told that Japanese students are quite orderly...but not this quiet. Not that it's a bad thing, but if you don't mind...would you please be a little more responsive?" Seeing that th class gave him an odd look, a slight look of uncertainty came back to him once again,as he said, "Sorry. I didn't mean anything. It's just that...that I don't want you to be intimidated by my presence here. It's not as if I'm gonna eat you alive or something."

Hearing a spur-of-the-moment candidness at that rather awkward moment, the class couldn't help but let out a few giggles. "Looks like it's him who's intimidated by us," said Hiroshi. "And that's what makes him cute," seconded Tokie. And it wasn't at all surprising, as they saw the new teacher's features up close. The sunlight streaming through the windows highlighted his angular features; revealed the blond highlights of his bangs that distinguished it from the rest of the dark brown locks on his head; and finally, was refracted by his deep brown eyes, revealing its lustrous quality, the kind of luster that reveals any change or onset of emotions that he has; such as the uncertainty and searching look that he displays at that moment. Finally, he wore a decisive look, straightened and in a casual tone, said, "Okay, since you'll not be speaking on your own, I'll give you something to talk about. You can ask me anything you want, no holds barred," and in a more friendly tone,said, "Anything about me is fair game."

At that, the class looked at each other and murmured briefly among themselves, as the teacher waited on. Finally, Maria raised her hand. "Yes?" said the teacher, as he motioned to her. As she stood up, Akira jeered, "Go for it, class rep!"

Maria sneered at him, then faced the teacher. "Uh, Star-sensei," she said slowly, "Is this your first time in Japan?" "Well, yes it is. Like I said in the assembly, I only learned what I should about this country through the books, the Net, and the Nihongo practice partners that were assigned to me. Everything else that I haven't learned from reading, I learned from them. But of course, nothing beats actually going here and learning the ways of the Japanese on-the-spot."

"So, what have you learned so far?" "So far, nothing that I haven't known yet, ...except for that rule about handbags that I overheard in the apartment that I'm staying in. I guess that doesn't apply to me, since I don't use one." Hearing this, Maria smirked, as the class giggled. _He's got enough wit to keep us entertained, at least._

"All right then," said the teacher, as he held the seating plan, points to a spot on it and said, "Is that all you're gonna ask, Maria?" "You're calling us by first name?" "Well, I know that it's the custom here for teachers to address the students by the last name, but if you don't mind, I'd be comfortable calling you by your given names. Where I come from, the thing we associate last name-calling with is the military and the workplace, definitely not the environment we associate school with. Is it okay?"

"Uh, yes, whatever you're comfortable with," saying this, Maria faced the class and said, "How about you guys?" Everybody gave out their agreements, except for Jin, who still kept silent and maintained a hard, measuring glance on their teacher.

Everybody else gave out their questions; ranging from whether he has a girlfriend or not, to what else are his other interests. All of which he answered gamely, as the class found out that he does have a special someone back in Canada, and his other interests are sailing and stargazing; the last have Koji's seatmates nudging the latter,as they went, "You have found your kind!"

Koji was flustered, since he's the one who asked that question. "It's not as if he's also interested in UFOs," he shot back. Hearing this the teacher went near his seat and asked, "So that's what you're into as well?" "Well,..." Koji stood up and minced his words, still a bit shy over talking face to face with a foreigner. "Not much about the stars and the heavenly bodies though. I'm more into UFOs." "So, you're not as much interested in celestial bodies as much as UFOs then?" Still uneasy, Koji kept his eyes downcast and with an even softer voice, said, "um, yeah..."

A bit of silence followed. A thoughtful look came to the teacher's eyes and in a more gentle tone, said,"How about looking up, little fellow?" As Koji looked up at him, he was met with a consoling expression, as the teacher said, "All of us have our own interests. It's part of who we are. So don't think that I'm disappointed that we don't share the same interests."

"H-how did you know?" Koji said, surprised, to which the teacher replied, "It's written all over your face."

"Duh," Akira cut in, "Your face is practically an Etch-a-Sketch board. No mind reading's necessary."

Koji scowled at Akira, as the teacher said, "Okay,okay, this is all a friendly exchange. See, what I want to do here, is try to get to know all of you as much as I can."

"So why do it with a self-centered question?"

Everybody fell silent, as they all looked towards Jin, who asked that aggressive inquiry with an equally aggressive tone and look. "Jin!" Maria hissed warningly, then hastily turned towards the teacher. "Please excuse him, Star-sensei..."

Tension filled the air as the teacher slowly walked towards Jin's desk, as all anxiously awaited the former's reaction to the latter's rude behavior, expecting something unpleasant. But all the teacher did was stop at the desk and maintained an unwavering look at the spike-haired boy, as he said, "Good question. Yes, it may look that this discussion's all about me. But actually, it's the other way around. It's about all of you. I did this forum session to get to know all of you. The kind of questions you ask, the way you ask them, those tell me what kind of personality each of you has, and what you may be thinking of me in those moments also counts in your personalities."

"Oh yeah? So what do you think of me right now?" Jin retorted.

Leaning down, the teacher leveled his gaze with the spike haired fellow's, and with a knowing look,said, "What do I think of you right now? I see an impatient,inquisitive little fellow who wants to know the real deal about me." After saying this, the teacher walked back to the front table.

Maria let out an uneasy look as she watched Jin seethe in his chair, and said, "Looks like Jin had made him mad." "Nope, I think it's the other way around," said Asuka. "It's Jin who's mad. He's mad because Star-sensei read him clearly." Letting out a smirk, the brunette said, "Things are gonna get more interesting."

"Okay then," said the teacher, "Any more questions?" Asuka raised his hand,and as he was called, he stood up and said, "Well, something just came up to me. I've noticed that you have some...well...traces of Southern Mediterranean features." Hearing him say this, his fangirls in the class swooned and said, "That's our genius Asuka-kun," which led to Maria and the others rolling their eyes, but they promptly straightened up when the teacher said, "Interesting; you noticed it as well. Looks like I haven't told you; you see, my mother's Greek."

The class let out another round of amazed murmurings. _He's full of surprises, all right, _Asuka thought, his usual nonchalant visage having a slight tinge of amazement. But gathering his composure, he asked further, "So, you know Greek too?" "Well, I have to admit; I don't know much Greek as much as Nihongo in which we are speaking in right now. But I sure know a great deal about Greek mythology and history,..." saying this, he let out a knowing grin.

Struck at the realization that he had given them with his grin, the class' amazed murmurs grew louder. "Don't tell me," said Maria, "that your subject is..."

"Yes, you're right,"saying this, the teacher took out another notebook from the stacked teaching paraphernalia on the table. "What I'll be handling is Literature, that is...classic Greek mythology." Maria heard Jin growl and groan in his seat. "To make things worse," sighed Maria, "He's gonna be handling Jin's most hated subject: foreign literature."

* * *

As the students were dismissed and went home that afternoon;as expected, the dominant subject of Class 1-C's conversation was their teacher. "He's really something," said Maria, "from the way he handles our questions and the way he talks to us, it's as if he already knows us!"

"I can see why Jin should act suspicious of him,"said Koji, as he glanced at the aforementioned, who remained silent throughout the those moments.

"Do you suppose," said Reiko, "that he already knows who we are?" To which Akira snorted and said, "No way. Nobody outside Tokyo, much less foreigners, knows about Raijin-oh!"

"You're all being a bit paranoid here," said Yuu, who wore a concerned look. "Star-sensei just has a knack for reading people's personalities. And that's why I think he was chosen for the forex program; that skill is an advantage for any teacher who's gonna be assigned overseas."

"And he's enjoying himself in torturing us in that knowledge," Asuka sighed. Hearing this, the tall, husky Daisuke scratched his head and said, "Even our resident hotshot feels tortured? That Star-sensei's really something."

"Uh,Jin," Koji said, "You're not saying anything eversince we left the classroom." "Duh," went Akira, "He was the most tortured by Star-sensei."

"Hey, Jin,"Maria said, but the aforementioned cut her; "Don't ask my opinion, since I don't have any. And stop talking about him, just the thought of him makes me sick." Saying this, the spikehead ran ahead of everybody.

The group fell silent, as they uneasily glanced at one another.

"This isn't good," sighed Maria.

* * *

Hearing the howling of the dogs in the distance, he lay down on his back, eyes glued to the ceiling. It indeed has been an exhaustive day for him. It may appear that he had handled the children so knowingly; but only because he had put up an effective bluff. Yes; he had overheard his students from a distance that he was an expert in torture, while the truth is, it's the other way around. They were the ones who tortured him, with their probing, dissecting looks, and their intrusive questions. But despite that, he has to keep his guard up. They must not know the real purpose of his coming to Japan. "Not now at least," he sighed.

The silence of his apartment room was broken with the ringing of his mobile phone. As he looked at the display, he felt a sense of urgency when he saw the number. Yes, it was not listed in his phone's directory,and for a good reason: no one must know that he's contacting this person. As he received the call, he cautiously listened to the other end of the line.

"Guardian of light," a woman's voice said, to which he replied, "Seven Chosen.", as part of their SOPs are passwords. Having confirmed that it was him, the one at the other end of the line said, "So,how was your first day?"

"Really something , I tell you," he sighed, "All the questions they ask, the way they talk to me...I can't believe that they're just seventh graders!"

"That's exactly the same case with your fellow Chosen in Aozora city."

"You mean...Odie? He's assigned to the Light Children there, right? So, are they all like that?"

"Precisely why they were chosen by Eldoran."

"Eldoran sure knows his stuff. Hey, Rachel, did Grandmaster Michelin really send all seven of us here in Japan?"

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that, Jay. You know our SOPs,right?" "Oh, sorry." "Oh come on. Even when you're still being trained by the Olympian gods, you and your other Chosen friends have been into the sworn secrecy thing. You must know that by now."

"Well, it's just that I remembered Roseller's words on that fateful day; that there are times when secrecy is more of a burden than an advantage. But don't worry,I know that this is th time that secrecy is necessary. After all, I am a secret agent, right?"

"And I hope you remember exactly why you're there?"

"To observe the kids that were once the Chikyuu Boueigumi (Earth Defense Class)."

"Good to hear that. Okay,about these kids, has anyone of them caught your attention so far?"

"Well...there's this kid that for some reason, I've gotten his goat, even if we've never even met before and I don't remember doing anything he won't like. Not only does he have an intense dislike of me, but of the subject that I'm handling as well. He keeps giving me the eye. The truth is, it's really bothering me."

"Let me guess; that's Jin Hyuga, the main pilot of Raijin-oh, right?" "How did you know?" "Judging from the info on his stats, bio and personality in the ACEF database, that's his most likely reaction to you. Yes, you still have no idea how the two of you are very much alike."

"Really now..." "Oh, you'll know what I mean when the time comes. I have to go now. I'll get back to you as soon as I get the updates on the enemy's movement." As soon as the line was cut, he hurriedly deleted the incoming calls' log as another part of the SOP.

Sighing, he looked out of the window and into the horizon lined with the tall skyscrapers of the megalopolis and the silhouette of the Tokyo Tower. "This is going to be my longest six months."


	3. Phileos

Fire and destruction swept the landscape as he helplessly stared on; knowing that he won't be able to do anything, as the towering structures of the megalopolis all crumbled, crushing with them the countless lives that ran all over in a panicked frenzy. A loud clang behind him made him turn his head sharply to the direction of the said sound; and was aghast by the sight of Eldoran's robots--Raijin-oh, Ganbaruger, Gosaurer and Daitei-oh--are all caught in the deadly force projectiles of a much bigger robot; from which an evil, threatening laughter emanates from.

Caught unawares, he reeled as another explosion shattered the war-torn landscape; and as he looked on again, he was met by an equally startling visage of seven figures, who were fighting off the much bigger robot; as the four Eldoran robots lay down on the ground, battle-beaten and motionless. The seven figures, though cloaked in shadows, are obviously human; and are fighting the said robot with their own strength. What caught his eye was the leading figure, as despite the sword that it was wielding and the heavy trench coat that trailed behind it, he can still make out something very familiar about its silhouette. "You...you're..."

"Who again is the one who taught Aesculapius all he knows about the medical arts? Jin? Jin...Earth to Jin..."

"IT'S YOU!!"

Everybody was taken aback as Jin abruptly shifted from his slumped posture in his sleep to a rather aggressive stance, with one foot on his desk and another on his chair. Even the teacher was caught unawares, but after a few moments, he straightened up and with a naughty smirk, said, "Do I look like a centaur to you?"as the class snickered.

"Centa...?" Jin gave off a blank, clueless facefault as Maria said, "We're having a graded recitation, in case you forgot."

"Oh...what was that again? Centurion?" That clueless comment had everyone roll their eyes in derision as the teacher said, "CENTAUR, Jin. You know, the half-human, half-horse type of being. And Chiron is one, to whom the earlier question is referring to."

"Yeah, Yeah, whatever," said Jin, as he headed out for the corridor.

"And just where do you think you're going?" asked the teacher.

"You're making me stand in the corridor again, right?"

"Oh no, you're not gonna stand in the corridor."

"You're letting me off?" the spikehead's face lightened by this thought, but quickly fell back when the teacher laid a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked back, he was met by a (comedic) menacing visage.

"Perhaps you still remember yesterday's lecture on how Hades punished Sisyphus for cheating death."

"Uh, no." "I'll make you remember."

The whole campus of Hinobori Middle School ended up having a spectacle that afternoon, in the form of Jin rolling a huge limestone ball all over the track and field by his lonesome.

"And after that, roll that over in the gym. The floor's getting too slippery for safety," the school grounds' keeper yelled out from the sidelines.

"Aren't you gonna report Star-sensei?! This is already child abuse!" Jin growled.

"Child abuse my foot!" The keeper yelled back, "My gramps had had stuff harder than that during the war. Now move it!"

From the window, the rest of the class watched the spectacle. "Something tells me that this is gonna be a looooooong day for him," said Asuka, as the others nodded.

* * *

"Whew. Done!" Dropping down, Jin leaned against the storeroom door behind which the limestone ball lay. Whereas the rest of the school had gone home for the day, he was left to carry out his assigned punishment for sleeping in class for the nth time. Staring at the sunset-tinted horizon, he muttered, "Why is it always me?"

"Because you're the slacker?"

Jin looked back and saw a bottle of energy drink flying towards him. Catching it, he saw Akira, Hiroshi, Yoppa and Koji walking to him.

"You didn't have to bother," said the spikehead, "but you know, you're better off. Our 'great teacher' left without even bothering to check on me. Just proves how much he doesn't care."

"Spoken by someone who insists that he isn't a kid anymore that needs to be checked on every now and then," Akira said with a smirk, as the spikehead yelled, "Don't change the subject!!"

"But you could just make things easier for yourself," said Koji, "I mean, you could just simply let yourself accept Star-sensei and his lessons, instead of giving him and yourself a hard time."

"Easy for you to say, because you're not his favorite whipping boy," said Jin, after which, he gulped down the drink from the bottle , and then went on, "It seems that I'm his tool for reenactments of divine punishment. Remember when he forced me to do kennel duties at the shelter?"

"Yeah," said Koji, "That's when you slept through his lecture on how Zeus punished King Lycan for his cannibalism by turning him into a werewolf."

"And the time when I flunked the part on how that Prometheus guy was punished for stealing fire? He took my liver spread sandwich and fed it to the chickens! And I went hungry the whole day. That's just as painful as having my liver eaten by an eagle while I'm still alive! Hey! Why are you laughing?"

"Because it's just funny?" said the slow, overweight Yoppa as he chortled.

"Thanks for the sympathy," grumbled Jin.

"Sorry," said Hiroshi as he tried to stifle his giggles, "but seriously, I think it's very ingenious of him to pull off such stunts just to make an impression on you."

"No kidding," said Akira, "It seems almost like you're his favorite. I'm jealous!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jin yelled.

"I won't be surprised," said Hiroshi, "To be honest, I've noticed that in the first few weeks that Star-sensei has been with us, I've noticed that he and Jin had some things in common."

"Don't compare me to that nutbar," muttered Jin, "For one thing, I'm not the type who wears that creepy smile while dealing damages to enemies. What a psycho."

"Well, you may differ in your ways of expressing your desire to make mischief," Hiroshi replied, "But that's what you actually had in common. You both take pride in using mischief to get your point across, and you don't want anyone else to outdo you in your game."

"Whatever!" Jin stomped, got up and went, "I don't care what you say, I don't want to have anything to do with that canuck, and that's final!" saying this, he banged his fist on the door, but was taken aback when it shook precariously.

"You know that the school grounds are on incline ground, right?" asked Hiroshi.

"Yeah," Jin said.

"And you didn't lock the door properly." "Uh...no."

Everybody gave the spikehead a deadpan gaze. "You blockhead."

With a scream, they ran from the door just a few seconds before it swung open and the limestone ball came rolling after them.

The five boys desperately scrambled through the streets, desperate to get away from the ball, which claimed a few potted plants and a number of mobile stalls. Finally, they managed to scramble out of the ball's way, and watched as it slammed into a wall, and get crushed to bits.

"I think we're safe now..."said Jin.

"I think...not..." said Koji, as he pointed to the people behind them, Eyes ablaze, the mob threateningly loomed over the boys and demanded to pay for the damages they have done.

"Not again!!" And the boys' big chase continued as they ran from the mob, passing through narrow alleyways and getting chased yet again by unsavory thing such as drunkards, perverts with guns, angry girls whose underwear had been carried away by them from their passing through clotheslines, and rabid, territorial street dogs. After a full 3 hours of nonstop running, the boys exhaustedly ambled through the darkened streets, as it was already deep in the night.

"Any idea where we are?" Koji gasped, trying to walk straight in his exhaustion.

"What a day..." grumbled Akira, "And all because someone's goofing around."

"That ball wasn't my idea in the first place!" Jin groaned.

"Just for once, Jin!!" yelled Akira, "Stop blaming Star-sensei for your own screw-ups! Aren't you man enough to admit them?!"

"Nice try, punk head!" Jin retorted, "But I just happen to be completely confident of my manhood! Maybe it's that kanuck that's lacking in that area, that's why he's doing this to me!"

"And that 'manhood' is what got us into this in the first place!"

"Hey, stop that!" Hiroshi tried to get the two to stop arguing, but knew that he failed miserably when they saw the victims of the runaway limestone ball catch up with them, and the chase resumed.

"Just a few more blocks...and I'll be 25 pounds lighter," Yoppa gasped, as he struggled to keep pace with the others.

"Of all the times to think about your weight!" Akira growled.

"C'mon guys! Follow me!" yelled Jin.

"To where?!" "Just follow me!!" And without further ado, the spikehead ran into a corner and hid in the nearest bushes, as the others followed suit.

The five boys held their breath, as the mob momentarily stopped before them "We've lost them!" "Let's scatter. They can't be too far!"

The boys waited for several moments, making sure that the mob has completely left the area before finally stepping out. They were about to say something; but their grumbling, empty stomachs ended up doing the talking instead.

"Uh,...we can't exactly go home yet, right?" said Koji, "I mean, with all that happened, our folks aren't gonna be happy."

"Oh, my perfect record," sighed Hiroshi, "All ruined because of..."

"Oh shut up!" yelled Akira, "This is no time to fret about 'model student' standings. It can only get worse!"

"What are you doing here?" The five was startled by the sudden interruption, but were even more shocked when they saw who was that.

"Star-sensei?" Indeed, it was him, calling them through the window of his apartment room.

"Yes," groaned Jin, "It can only get worse."

* * *

"Cheer up guys," said Koji, as the others sat dejectedly on the floor. "We're still lucky. Sensei has let us stay here for the night, this apartment has a bathroom, we have our spare school jerseys in our bags so we have something to wear for the night, and he's even treated us to free dinner! That's four lucky things happening today!"

"But what about those people?" asked Hiroshi, "Even if he said that he'll talk to them, I doubt that it will make any things better. What's worse, he can't really do anything about our parents..."

"Still, he does have some form of persuasive power," Akira pointed out, "Else, how can get the school grounds' keeper and the animal shelter to cooperate with him in Jin's punishments?"

"Stop saying the obvious already," the aforementioned said, wearing an angry, haggard look on his face.

The room was filled with their pensive silence. As Koji had said, their teacher had allowed them to stay in his apartment room for the night, and had changed into their spare school jerseys. Earlier, they had sent their parents a hasty text message that they're going to have an "overnight study" in this place; but of course, the real reason is to not let them know for the time being what they just got into. They all shared the same somber look, but Jin has the most resentment of all; for the one who thinks was the cause of their predicament was the one who'll be bailing them out, and worse, had fed them. They were in that state when the teacher returned from the kitchen, and said, "Wow, you sure have an appetite. Remind me not to invite Yoppa over the next time we're gonna have a sleepover."

"Sorry," the aforementioned said sheepishly, "but I can't help myself. You lamb dish was awesome!"

"You're really slow, Yoppa," said Akira, "He might have meant that to tease you."

"Oh no no..." the teacher said quickly, "I wasn't teasing you. Sorry if I offended you..."

_He really looks pathetic_, the boys thought, as they ruefully surveyed the helpless look on his face. But despite that,Yoppa said, "Don't worry. Even if you din mean to tease me, I won't take it against you. I've already accepted the fact that my appetite is twice that of a normal person. But that won't change the fact that your lamb dish was delicious!"

"Why thank you."

Akira gave the hefty boy the odd look. "You're a weirdo when it comes to food."

Hiroshi snickered, then turned to the teacher. "Uh, Star-sensei, were you always doing your own meals? That must've been taking up a lot of time."

"Not really. It's all in the...proper time management. And of course, being something of a mama's boy also helps, especially that my mom's a great cook as well."

"I'm sure she is," said Yoppa, still dreamy-eyed over what he had just eaten moments ago.

"Uh...sensei?" Koji spoke up.

"Yes?"

Speaking slowly over the uncertainty of whether he should ask the following or not, he asked, "Usually, Westerners aren't too keen on on admitting to being a mama's boy. I'm sure that for you to do that without any hesitation, your mom must've played a big role in your life. Has she?"

The teacher wore a thoughtful look, and after a few moments of silence, said, "You know, you kids never cease to amaze me. Your perceptiveness hits almost on the same level as people twice your age. Suffice to say that she did play a significant part of my life, particularly, the subject that I'm handling now. You see, she was a researcher of Greek mythology and history, and the subject itself started out as stories of my childhood."

"So you were practically having ancient Greek stuff as a growing-up milk formula?" Akira said with an impish grin.

"You can say that. Although, they are of the abridged kind. You all know by now that Greek mythos are anything but kid-friendly."

_He's telling me_, Jin thought, as he remembered the Prometheus story and the punishment he received for flunking that part of an exam.

"So, did she teach you how to cook as well?" asked Hiroshi.

"Not directly. I only learned how when I started living alone, and I found her recipes in our house."

"Wait a minute," said Akira, "Found her recipes? How can that be, when you just said that you're living alone?"

"I was still in my parents' home then. But I'm already alone."

"Where did they go?" asked Hiroshi, as the curiosity of Koji, Yoppa and Akira were aroused and awaited for his answer, but was quickly replaced by a look of concern when the teacher fell silent and a sober look formed on his face. "What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked again.

"They're gone," the teacher said slowly, "They...died in an accident six years ago."

The boys fell silent, struck with what they just heard. Even Jin, who was wearing an indifferent look in all of those moments, also had a slight tinge of surprise on his face, but quickly got it off. Then, Hiroshi said, "Sorry. We've brought up something that we shouldn't have."

"No, it's okay. Anyone's bound to ask me that kind of question at some point. But I didn't expect you to ask me about that this soon."

"I guess we're just nosy by nature," Akira said with an impish grin.

_Yeah, too nosy for our own good,_ Koji thought, as he said, "But we must've breached some grounds of privacy there..."

"Oh stop it," Jin butted in after staying silent for all those moments. "You asked him, he's answered, and he isn't offended. But his sob story won't change the fact that we're still in hot water because of his stupid limestone ball scheme!"

"Jin!" Hiroshi said warningly, "That's no way to talk to him. Remember he's still our teacher!"

"Whatever", the spikehead retorted.

Koji stared at Jin with an increasingly alarmed look, for the latter was getting dangerously defiant. "He can report me to the principal or the Student Disciplinary Board for all I care. But no matter what trick he pulls at us, or what he gets us into, that won't change things for me. I won't trust him."

"But Jin!" Koji said, but the teacher laid a hand on his shoulder. As Koji looked back at him, he saw him shake his head and said gently, "I won't say that I'm fine with what he's showing me, but I don't want to make things any harder for him, or for anyone else either. I understand what's going on with him. Besides...trust isn't something gained overnight."

"Sensei..." Koji stared thoughtfully at him, then at Jin, whose back was turned on them and was crouching down in the corner.

"Oh well, since it's late in the night..."saying this, the teacher went to the cabinet and dragged out a spare futon from it.

"You're gonna send us off to sleep just like that?" Akira said with an odd look.

"Personally, I think you Japanese students are a tad too overworked. You should get as much sleep as possible; especially tomorrow, as I need to figure out what to do with the limestone ball's casualties."

Koji, Akira, Hiroshi and Yoppa stared at one another, and lightened up as what their teacher said came to them.

Moments later, the boys had a short discussion on who gets to sleep on where. They finally reached a decision when Jin expressed his total refusal to fully accept the teacher's hospitality by stubbornly insisting to sleep in the corner he's huddled in. When the lights were turned off, we see, Koji and Yoppa huddled in the bed; Hiroshi and Akira struggling in the futon's limited space; Jin sleeping on the floor with his head rested on his bag, and the teacher sitting on the windowsill. Koji noticed this, and slightly raising his head from the pillow, asked, "Aren't you gonna sleep yet?"

"Uh, no, you go on ahead. I'm not sleepy yet."

"Okay...oyasumi. (good night)"

"Oyasumi..." said the teacher, as he wistfully stared at Koji, who snuggled back to sleep, then at all the boys huddled in the cramped apartment room. Sighing, he turned back to the view outside the window, still wondering how they actually made him spill out a part of his past. _They're really remarkable, especially how their collective charms made me put my guard down, even for just a while. Now I understand a little more...why the ACEF thinks they're special. But no. The mission will be compromised if they find out who I really am at this time. It's too early. But..._

Slowly, he rolled up the sleeve on his left arm...and revealed a jagged, massive scar just above the elbow. Surveying the scar, he wore a forlorn, meditative expression, which was further highlighted by the pale moonlight; as it casted its soft rays on his angular features, and the sober glow on his eyes. _I wonder...how long will I be able to keep it all from them..._Rolling down his sleeve, he stared on outside the window, and was in that state when the Sandman finally caught up with him.

Later on, Koji peered through sleepy eyes and saw that their teacher had fallen asleep on the windowsill. He wondered why he chose to sleep there, but the answer came to him when he surveyed the room and saw that all five of them had occupied the limited floor and bed space of the room. _He's really something_, Koji thought, as he went back to sleep, _falling asleep on the windowsill on purpose so he can give us all of the available space of his room, without us knowing it. If that's the way he really is...maybe having him for a teacher is not such a bad idea after all._


	4. All burned and nowhere to go

The bright shafts of sunlight and the incessant twittering of the birds met his senses, as he slowly opened his eyes and saw his still sleeping comrades. Looking around, he saw that the teacher was no longer on the windowsill, and the noises in the kitchen told him that breakfast will be served soon.

As he rubbed off the remaining cobwebs of sleep from his eyes, Koji carefully navigated his way through the ones sleeping on the floor and among the boxes in the kitchen that doubled as a storage room for the apartment unit's present occupant. "Ohayou(good morning)," he said, as he peered at the pot on the stove, trying to see what's cooking.

"Ohayou," said the teacher, as he glanced at the boy for a second, then went back to what he's stirring in the pot. "You're the early riser, huh?"

"Not really," said Koji, "it just happened that I got up first."

"Is that so? Well, better wake them up, or we'll all be late for school."

As the boy turned to the direction of the bedroom, he was startled when suddenly, a cacophony of noises came forth. "I don't think I need to wake them up."

"They seem to be making quite a fuss there..."the teacher said, but broke off when he realized that the boys were already hurling invectives at one another.

"That's not good," he said, as he hurriedly turned off the stove, knowing that this place is not only old, but not that fire-proof. He was about to leave the area, but Koji stopped him. "No, sensei. Please, let me take care of them."

"But..."

"With what Jin has been showing you, I don't think he'll listen to what you will say. I'm sorry, but let me take care of this," saying this, Koji weaved through the boxes and rushed to his friends.

"Okay," said the teacher, but he kept a pensive stance, for he has a feeling that something bad's going to happen.

As Koji went into the room, he saw Hiroshi and Yoppa restraining Akira and Jin, who were the ones throwing invectives at one another. From what he can make out of their shouting match, Koji learned that Akira has accidentally stepped on Jin a while ago.

"Why don't you just admit that you're a f- - -ing dolt!" Yelled Jin.

"You're a dolt yourself!" Akira yelled back. "It's your clumsiness that brought us here in the first place!"

"That's all our 'great teacher''s fault, in case you forgot!"

"How long will you keep blaming other people for your shortcomings?! Grow up, Jin Hyuga!!"

"Say what you want! After all, you're all the same! You're all D- - -BAGS!!"

"Why you A- - -HOLE!!" With a mighty shove, Akira pushed Yoppa aside and flung himself at Jin.

The other boys can only yell about how old and fragile the apartment building's walls are, as the two rolled and punched at each other. Their worst fears have been realized when the two crashed into the cracked wall which separates the main room from the kitchen, and all froze in fear when they found out that the two had not only destroyed the wall, but also severed the line to the central fuel tank as well.

Seeing that the wall has been destroyed and realizing that the fuel line was severed from the noxious smell of combustible fluids, the teacher instinctively leaped over the stove in a single bound, ran into the main room, grabbed all five boys in a single dash, and in an adrenaline-filled split-second, leaped from the second-floor window into the thick bushes below, just as his apartment unit exploded.

"Are you all okay?? None hurt?!" yelled the teacher, as they slowly emerged from the bushes.

The five boys were still shocked from the sudden rush of events that all they can give out was a dazed nod and a barely audible "Yeah,I'm okay...I think."

"Get as far away as possible! Now go!" Saying this, the teacher went back to the apartment to attempt to rescue the other people in there.

"What's...going on?" Koji can only mumble, as the incoming rush of the firefighters and the outgoing rush of the rest of the occupants overtook the scene.

* * *

"A fire broke out at around 7:30 AM, at the GN Apartment Unit, Kasei Street, east of Hinobori. Fortunately, all of those who were in the said apartment were quickly evacuated just before the fire had spread throughout the said building. According to the police reports, a severed line to the central fuel tank caused by a small commotion in the apartment room where it was located was where the fire originated. As of now, further details of the said incident will be kept from the public until further notice. This is Etsuko Oomiya1, reporting live from the District Hall."

"And cut!"

As the crew went on with their assigned tasks, the reporter turned towards the site operator and said, "If I were to have my way, I really want to add that this whole thing involves that foreign teacher. It makes for an interesting scoop."

"You must remember that the bigshots don't want the reputation of this town ruined of the rest of the world,"said the site operator, as he fixed his gaze onto the Hall's entrance. "Don't tell me that you're turning into that gossip-mongering, scoop-hungry EBS bunny?"

"Don't compare me to that Cassie Han," groaned Etsuko, as a slightly irritated expression formed on her face. Obviously not wanting to be reminded of the aforementioned, she abruptly changed the subject. "I totally understand their need to protect their reputation, but this isn't something that this town can have everyday. You know what? I feel that this foreign teacher might be the next big thing after the Eldoran incident, which ended only a few weeks ago."

Inside the district hall, the officials were faced with the bigger task of placating not only the apartment's owner and occupants that were rendered homeless, but also those who were the casualties of the runaway limestone ball from yesterday. They were obviously not too pleased when they faced up with the school administrators and some of the faculty, our teacher included. Despite the ensuing chaos, the teacher tried to retain his composure, as the mob demanded all sorts of nasty penalizations that they think the erring children deserve.

"Now, let's all be rational here, I'm sure they didn't really mean to cause harm,"said the hapless mayor, who acted as a mediator between the two parties.

"Rational!"yelled a woman in the mob. "My life's work is that ramen stall, and those charlatans destroyed it! And you expect us to be rational?!"

"We've just lost our homes because of them,"said the apartment's owner, "and we should be RATIONAL?!"

Silently groaning in exasperation, Mayor Anzai just shook his head, finding himself at a loss. _Oh, humanity, always losing sight of reason when faced with hardships. Have these people forgotten that these so-called charlatans were the very same kids that just saved the world many times over? Or that the apartment wasn't the safest in town in the first place?_ The mob just kept on ranting and railing, and even as the school administrators and faculty had worn the same helpless expression, Principal Hashiba went over to Anzai, and said, "This can take a long time..."

"STOP IT!!"

The arguing mobs were startled, and eventually silenced by the teacher, who could no longer hold his silence, and has assumed a pensive, yet decisive posture. Everybody in the hall looked at him, as he said the following with a trite but resolute expression: "Please don't blame the children for what happened. I was the one responsible for everything. That limestone ball from yesterday: that was my idea. It was part of my plans to make to make my students learn their lesson in the most memorable way that I know. But I can see that it's all a big mistake. If it wasn't for that ball, your property won't be destroyed; the kids won't have any reason to stay in my place; and the fire couldn't have happened."

"But Star-sensei!" Hashiba said with a look of concern. "You don't have to..."

"Thank you, gojosensei(principal).But someone has to take the blame. And it's definitely not any of my students." Facing the people, he said, "I'm willing to receive any kind of sanctions and pay for all the damages resulting from my irresponsibility. I don't know if I should even ask for forgiveness, but I hope you'll find it in your hearts to do so." Saying this, he briefly bowed down and kept his head hung low, expecting an unpleasant reaction. And indeed it came, as the mob roared again, but this time, laying the blame on the teacher and ranting on how foreigners cannot be trusted.

_Oh great,_ Anzai thought, _now it's the classic Japanese xenophobia._ Also not able to hold his silence anymore, he slammed the desk to get everyone's attention. When that didn't work, he said in a sharp voice that is well above the usual decibels of his usual speaking manner. "We will pay for all the damages, if that's what you want!"

That seemed to have worked, as the mob suddenly became quiet at the mention of payment. The mayor's assistants, on the other hand, wore faces of disbelief when they heard what he said. "Are you sure?!"

"Don't worry," said the mayor. Facing the people, he said, "Nobody wanted this to happen. I'm sure that Star-sensei's acted with only the best interest of his students in mind. It's just a simple case of one thing leading to another. Nobody should be blamed. Even so, we will be willing to shoulder the expenses of finding a new home for those of you who lost theirs in the fire."

Not the one to be outdone, Principal Hashiba said, "And since the ball originated from Hinobori Middle School, we will be paying for the damages that it caused."

"Do you have any more complaints?" Seeing that the crowd was more or less satisfied, the mayor then gave the assistants the go-ahead in starting the process of giving them grants.

It took a long time before the teacher realized what just happened; and when he did, he went to the mayor and said, "You didn't have to..."

"Think nothing of it, Star-sensei," said Anzai, his furrowed, mid-aged brow taking a more relaxed form as he said, "In fact, I'm the one who should apologize. You've only been here for a few weeks, and already you've been putting up with a lot of people and situations like this."

"I can't blame them," said the teacher, "Imagine, they lost their homes and possessions, all because of my own stupidity. Rolling a limestone ball: what sane person would ever think of that as punishment for sleeping in class?"

"I said it a while ago: You were only acting with your students' best interest in mind. No one can blame you for that. But yes, sometimes, in the process of having the best interest in mind, we commit errors in judgment, and these things happen."

"I don't know...I feel like I should be the one paying those people."

With a knowing look, the mayor said, "Saving those people from the fire is payment enough on your part. Keep that in mind." Excusing himself, the mayor joined his assistants in dealing with the people in the hall.

At that moment, Principal Hashiba went up to the teacher and said, "Let's go, Star-sensei. Your class is waiting for you in the second floor."

* * *

As the walked down the hallway, the teacher said, "You called them off from class?"

"We need to talk about how you'll deal with them after this whole thing."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought of that limestone ball thing..."

"No, it's not that," said the principal, "I can see that you're at a loss now on how to cope with the whole thing; to the point of not even thinking of where you'll be staying in for the night, or for the rest of your stay here."

"Oh, I forgot." In the midst of his guilt trip, he had forgotten that the apartment room that just burned down was the one he's staying in and where all of his belongings were stored in. but it's evident from the helpless, resignative expression on his face that that was the least of his concerns. Seeing this, the principal said, "You're really something, Star-sensei. From what I can see in the past days, you're the type that casts aside his own needs when that of someone else's comes along. Quite the hero type."

"I'd rather you not overrate me," said the teacher, looking even more disconcerted, "Whatever happened is the result of my errors in judgment. Whatever I did, and will be doing after that is just to make up for everything. It's nothing to feel heroic about."

_And what you just said makes you look even more heroic_, thought Hashiba, as they approached the room where the teacher's class and their respective parents are staying in. "All right then, " he said as he reached for the door, but was cut short when he heard another round of arguing voices in the room. "Oh my, now it's them who are arguing." He was about to go in when the teacher stopped him, "Wait!"

"Why?"

"I think it's best for us to hear first what they're arguing about. Chances are, they'll not tell us if we'll barge in on them right now."

"Good point," saying this, the principal moved closer to the door and strained to hear what was going on in the room.

"Look here. It's your fault that all of this happened. And you're saying that he's the one who should pay? How more can you shame us?!"

"Sure, because whatever I said doesn't matter. Never mind that he made me into a whipping boy. Never mind that he's the one who thought of that stupid limestone ball scheme up. It's always me who's the bad guy!"

"You deserve that, Jin. You're not only a slacker, you're an ingrate! Star-sensei had let you stay for the night and has even fed you! And he's taking responsibility for everything that happened!"

"He has fooled you big-time, mom. He did that so he can play the hero and I get to be the bad guy! And you're letting him get what he wants!"

"Oh, where have I gone wrong?! How could you have grown to be so rotten?!"

"Your mother's right, Jin," Maria joined in, "And I can't understand why you hate Star-sensei so much! He's the one who's struggling to get along with us, despite our differences!" And a few others in the room echoed her sentiments.

But then, Asuka, who remained quiet in all of those moments, spoke up. "Call me rude, but honestly, I couldn't care less about Jin, or even Star-sensei. But I do know for a fact that Jin's irrationality is taking a toll on all of us, and I definitely don't want to be dragged down with him."

"Asuka!" Maria let out an incredulous-indignant look. "You're saying that you don't care about the trouble that Jin caused? Or that Star-sensei's reputation is also at stake here?"

"The only thing I care about is how we'll get through this with our reputations intact. Even I, who wasn't a part of all this, even got called off from class. I still don't get why you think that we should all be dragged into the same thing. We're no longer the saviors of the world, in case you forgot."

"See what I mean?!" Jin butted in. "We're all becoming like this ever since that canuck came into our lives! He's destroying our team!"

Maria let out an exasperated groan. "As far as I know, the team was already destroyed long before he came."

As the room fell into another pensive silence, the teacher's expression took on another forlorn look. "I don't...I..." he stammered, "...don't think I'm in a position to go in there, much less say anything to them."

The principal stood still and remained silent for a few moments, and said, "You know what, Star-sensei? You're too nice for your own good." And with much resolution, he opened the door, took the teacher by the arm and dragged him along as he entered the room.

"Hey!! I shouldn't be coming in right now!! Hey!!" the teacher furiously waved his free arm (multiple-limb view anime style) and wore a helpless facefault, drawing stares of awkward amusement from the people in the room. Finally, the principal stood in the middle of the room, and propping up the hapless teacher beside him, addressed the people in the room as a whole. "Yes, we have heard what you were talking about. But don't worry; I'm not the one to meddle in personal issues, as I believe that's what they are. For now, I'll be asking you to set them aside, along with your concerns on your reputations: we and the mayor can take care of that. The problem that I want to address now is on where Star-sensei will be staying for the night."

Most of the people in the room wore faces of realization, and later, concern; for in the midst of the ruckus, they forgot that the teacher was among those who lost a place to stay.

"Since tomorrow is Sunday, he has all the time to search for a new place, and the forex program's sponsors will be giving him compensation for his belongings that got destroyed in the fire. But he won't be getting all of that until tomorrow, so that means: one of you will have to let him stay in your house for tonight."

"Us?!" Some of the parents wore a thinly veiled look of disapproval, but there are others who said, "That's a fair enough deal. He did let your kids stay in his place, after all."

In the midst of their talking, the teacher wore a meek expression, but his inner turmoil can be seen from the conflicted gaze in his eyes. The principal saw this and said, "It won't help keeping things to yourself. You have to tell them how you really feel."

"But anything I say won't make things any better. I'm the..."

"They will understand you only if you tell them what you really feel,"saying this, the principal, turned to the people in the room again and said, "Star-sensei wants to tell you something first," and gave the teacher a tap on the shoulder.

Eyes downcast, it took the teacher a few moments before he gathered his courage to look directly at the people in the room and say the following, "With everything that happened, I know I have no right to be speaking to you. As you already know; it's my fault that all of this happened, that limestone ball punishment that I have thought of started this whole thing. No matter how much I apologize, or even if I would be the one to pay for the damages; it won't change the fact that it's my thoughtlessness that has lead to all of this. I can't blame you if you do harbor some kind of animosity towards me. After all; what right do I have to impose myself on you? Not only am I a complete stranger; I'm also a foreigner, an outsider who has to play by all the rules of your land. Whatever outrageous things I do, like this one, will greatly affect all of you and yes, possibly destroy your already fragile relationships with one another. Even so...I still want to be your teacher. Because for me, this is no longer a matter of broadening my horizons, or whatever comes with working overseas. This is a matter of establishing some form of human relationship with all of you. That is for me, worth more than all the money and honor that comes with this job." Briefly bowing down, the teacher said, "I know that I'm asking too much, but for this one time, I'm begging for your indulgence."

The people in the room murmured among themselves, unsure of what to say. Finally, Maria stood up and approached the teacher. "Sensei...I cannot speak for everyone in this room; but as class rep, I know it's my duty to tell you this much: not once did it cross my mind to blame you for everything that happened. In fact, you're the one who's putting up with us. You're the one who's bearing the brunt of every single act of stupidity each of us is doing. And yet, you don't complain, you're even taking the blame to yourself. But you don't have to. Even if I know not everyone in the class actually wants to do this...I want to apologize to you on their behalf. You have done enough. Please, don't blame yourself anymore."

"Maria..." the teacher said slowly, a thoughtful glow forming on his eyes. Slowly, a more relaxed expression formed on his face as he said, "Thank you."

The principal observed the reactions of the people in the room to what the teacher just said. True enough, that seemed to have stirred some sense of contrition on most of them. But he noted the still indifferent look on Asuka's face, obviously unmoved by what the teacher said; and the scowl on Jin's face, who muttered, "And the Oscar goes to Jay Star."

"All right, that's enough for today," said the principal, "We need to talk about...which one of you will Star-sensei stay with for the night."

And from the look on his eyes, it seems that he had made his choice.

* * *

AN:

Etsuko Oomiya is a recurring character in the Eldoran series, representing the media presence in the said shows a a whole.


	5. Triangulation

"I'm not doubting you or anything, but you know that that kid isn't exactly in good terms with him," said Vice Principal Negishi, as he joined Principal Hashiba in watching the kids and their parents leaving for the day through the window. "I'm starting to think that you and Star-sensei seem to be sharing a certain propensity for uh, radical methods."

"You think so?" said the principal, not removing his gaze from the people below. "But you know what I think? If we are to solve a problem, we have to get to the root of it. That Hyuga kid has been the common denominator of Star-sensei's problems, whether he wants to admit it or not. This is the only thing I can do to help him, at least."

As the principal had said, he has chosen Jin's family as the teacher's host for the night. The vice-principal's fears are not unfounded to some extent; for as Jin, his mother and the teacher were walking together, the tension can still be felt from the air around them. Not the one to be ignorant to the inner turmoil that can be seen from Jin's indignant expression or the teacher's helpless gaze, Mrs. Hyuga tried to break the ice and the teacher's discomfort by saying, "Star-sensei, the principal mentioned that you wish to take part in the home visitation activity, but you can't, because you're not a regular teacher here and the forex program doesn't include that."

"Well, yes, I did. But come to think of it, it does make sense," said the teacher, as he looked around the streets that they're walking on, trying to take in the whole environment in the short time of his passing in there. "It's very impractical, considering my workload and schedule. And there's the fact that I'm a foreigner, and I don't think a lot of parents here would be comfortable with my presence in their homes."

"Is that so?" said Mrs. Hyuga. Walking through the alleyways with a quick, determined pace and a certain amount of audacity that belies her hefty, mid-age build and her homely, plain appearance, she further told him that it may be true that a number of her fellow countrymen still harbor that classic animosity towards Westerners, but there are others like herself who don't make that much of a big deal about visiting foreigners. "Besides," she added, "It's actually an honor to have you at our house for tonight. You're the closest thing that we can have to having a foreign diplomat as a guest."

"Really!" exclaimed the teacher, "You don't have to overrate me."

"Well, the forex program does make you a diplomat of sorts, right?"

"You're watching too much international documentaries," Jin butted in. "So he's a forex teacher. Big deal."

"Jin!" Mrs. Hyuga said sharply. "Can't you stop being difficult to your teacher even just for once?! You're lucky that he's being patient with you, but everything has his limits!"

"Whatever," the aforementioned harrumphed.

The teacher sighed, as he walked on with them.

After a few more minutes, the house in question came into view. A nondescript section of a line of store-type buildings, its facade was partially covered with with a chest freezer and a vending machine. Above it is a sign that says: HYUGA STORE:SPECIALIZING IN ABARISHI BEER. True enough, barrels of the said drink were silhouetted against the glass doors.

"So you're into wine-dealing?" the teacher asked, his curiosity aroused.

"Oh, not really," said Mrs. Hyuga, "We're more like mass retailers. The word 'dealing' here is for the larger distributors. Oh, by the way, the man over there is Jin's father."

"Hey, Michiyo!" said the aforementioned, who was lifting a case of bottled liquors towards the pickup truck parked in front of the store. "I just got your text message a while ago. We just have a lot of orders today, so I didn't have time to prepare our house for the guest!"

"Never mind about that," said Mrs. Hyuga, as she approached her husband, "I'll take care of the house. That's my job. And by the way," she turned towards the teacher, who was approaching them, "this is Star-sensei."

"Really now!" saying this, Mr. Hyuga placed the said case on top of the now completed stack in the truck and faced them. Glancing at the teacher for a while, he stretched out his hand and said, "Welcome to the only wine shop in Hinobori, Star-sensei. The name's Seiji Hyuga."

Letting out a puzzled gaze, the teacher wondered why he didn't do the traditional Japanese bow. Straightening up, he put out his right hand and shook the older man's. "Thanks. I'm Jay Star. _Yoroshiku onegaishimas._" After saying this, he asked why the man didn't do so.

"Oh, it's because I know Westerners are more comfortable with handshakes than bows. Yep, that's what comes with this job. We get to deal with all kinds of people, even foreigners like yourself. By the way, I'm really sorry for what happened. You've been though a lot of trouble, all because of our son!"

"Oh, no, no. In fact, I'm the one causing a lot of trouble here. I don't know what's going on with Jin, but with what's happening, it seems that I'm only making things worse for him."

Seeing the aformentioned's downcast, indignant glare intensify, Mr. Hyuga decided to do something about his son, being also the one with an audacity to detect situations that are possible catalysts for conflict. "Hey Jin, why don't you help out in the delivery?"

"But it's almost dinnertime!"

"The sun's still up! Now, no more excuses. Taida can't bring all of those alone!"

_Taida?_ The mention of that name suddenly brought back the thought of his real mission, but the teacher tried his best to hide his astonishment. Straightening up, he said, "So you have someone else here?"

As if on cue, the driver's seat opened, and out hopped a sight that's rather striking, even amusing for someone who's not accustomed to seeing a big mash-up of mismatches rolled into one short, rotund bundle. The sight of leather rocker's costume, complete with boots and gloves would have made a striking impression, if not for the fact that they're on a fat, old man with a purple mustache and an upright stalk of purple hair on the center of his bald pate. A pair of sunglasses surveyed the newcomer as he approached them, and in a predictably whiny, grating voice said, "Boss, I think we should go now. Uh, who is he?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Mr. Hyuga, "Star-sensei, this is Taida. He's a...how shall I say this? Oh, a down-and-out fellow who found his way here and is now working for us. Taida, this is Jay Star. He'll be Jin's homeroom teacher for this term. He lost his apartment room in a fire, and he'll be staying in here until he finds a new place to stay."

"Ooo..." the short man further surveyed the teacher from head to toe; and even as the latter felt uneasy being scrutinized, he deemed it best not to say anything, for after all, he felt no malice from the short man's gaze, which looks more of a curious child's. "You don't look like any person that I have seen," said Taida.

Seeing the teacher's uneasiness, Mr. Hyuga quickly explained, "Well, uh, you see, he's from overseas. People there look a bit different from us."

"Oh, is that so? I guess I still have a lot to learn from this planet."

Startled about Taida's ignorance of not carelessly revealing his identity to an unknowing stranger, Mr. Hyuga quickly turned to the teacher and said, "I'm sorry, sensei! What he meant was..."

"Oh, don't worry," said the teacher, as he quickly made a yarn about his prior knowledge of the short man, "Some...people here told me about who he is and what happened here a few months ago. Someone from another world who's accustomed to seeing only the Japanese will surely be surprised to see a white person." Turning to the short man, he said, "You seem to have settled quite well here."

"I'm only doing what I should. The Hyugas had been my only family eversince I started living here on Earth," said Taida with a contented smile.

"Hey!" cried Jin from the truck, "It's getting late! I want to crash as soon as possible!"

"Jin! Even to Taida, you're also being rude?!" Mrs. Hyuga said incredulously.

"No, it's okay, ma'am," said Taida, as he motioned for the truck. "So I'll be seeing you later, Star-sensei?"

"Yes. Nice meeting you, and be careful," said the teacher, as he briefly waved his hand.

"Thank you," said the short man, as he rode on the truck and drove off for the day's deliveries.

Inside the truck, the driver and Jin were silent for a long time. Then, Taida spoke up. "Hey Jin...you know, that Star-sensei seems like a nice person."

"You really are simple-minded," said Jin, "Of course he has to look that way. It will hurt his image if he's to go all a - hole on us."

"But is he really like that?" "Of course he is! He's the reason why I'm in trouble in the first place. Now he has fooled even mom and dad."

"Taida fell silent for a while, and then said, "I don't know that much about this world. That's why I only decide on things the way I see them. I don't know how you see him, but all I see in his eyes are kindness."

Jin grunted, and stared at the window with a resentful glare in his eyes. "This sucks."

* * *

Back in the store, the teacher surveyed the wines stocked in there and pondered over what the underling of the commander of the 5th dimension's invading force had just become. _Back in the ACEF, the alien invaders and the Light Children's fight against them were all shown to us, but not what happened to the invaders afterwards. So Taida ended up living with the kid that once was one of his enemies. So what happened to his bosses, Belzeb and Falzeb? _

He was deep in thought when Mr. Hyuga went up to him and said, "So how's it? Like any of those? Help yourself, it's all on me."

"Oh, thanks for the thought," said the teacher, "But I don't drink. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea to get all drunk in my student's place."

"Good point," said the older man, "But you know something? You're quite reserved for a North American. That's what I can see from you, at least."

"You're not the first person to say that,"said the teacher, "even back in my place, everyone seems to be telling me that I'm...well...too straight-laced as they say it. Maybe it's because I don't want to get into any unnecessary trouble, but, I don't know...maybe that's just the way I am."

"And maybe that's why people seem to be very suspicious of you."

"I can't really blame them," sighed the teacher, "after everything that happened, gaining the trust of people here will be a long shot."

"I know. But to be honest, I can't really get why people seem to be too cynical and mistrusting nowadays. Even when you show kindness, that will make you even more suspicious. That's part of what makes this world such a miserable place. My son's proof of that."

"Speaking of which, I want to ask you a favor."

"Uh, what kind of favor?"

The teacher fell silent for a while, gathering his thoughts. Then, he faced the older man, and looking him in the eye, said, "I want you to not punish Jin anymore for what happened. I know, this maybe a tall order, but I think punishing him will only make things worse, for it's not only me whom he'll hate; but everybody else around him as well. I'm not saying that he can get away with what he did; it's just that...that I can see that there is definitely something going on with him. Remember, he's thirteen; he's going though a transition period, and it's natural for him to be difficult, like now."

A thoughtful silence lingered in the store for a few moments. Then the teacher said, "Sorry. I guess I'm just playing child psychologist again. I won't blame you if you think that I'm imposing my Western standards on you..."

"You know," said Mr. Hyuga, as he thoughtfully stared at the teacher, "You really are a kind person."

The teacher wore another awkward expression, taken aback by the number of times the people around him made remarks on his obvious virtue within a single day. But he quickly disclaimed it. "No, no, it's not about being kind. It's just that," slowly taking on a more serious and thoughtful expression, he continued, "I don't want anyone to be going through a hard time because of me."

"And what you said is even more proof that you're a kind person," said Mrs. Hyuga, as she approached the two. "I just finished doing our dinner, and I can't help but overhear what you're talking about. And it seems that I've just learned that you're quite something. You're not only kind; you're even modest. In fact, more modest than a Japanese."

_I can't believe this,_ thought the teacher, as his eyes were set in a spiral, _this is crazy. I messed up everything, and they're overrating me for THAT?! _

As if reading his thoughts, Mr. Hyuga wore an amused smile and said, "Too modest all right. C'mon, you don't have to. Forget that stupid Japanese customs manual that says about being modest and not accepting complements. Peh, they're making us Japanese look like hypocrites. Oops, sorry I got sidetracked. Anyway...it's also because of that that I'll consider what you just asked me to. And why not? After all my son has done to you, you're still concerned about him."

"It's just my duty as his teacher!" The teacher disclaimed again, but he was caught unawares when the older man slapped his back jovially and said, "I said stop being too modest!"

Mrs. Hyuga chuckled and said, "You're really interesting, Star-sensei. And at the same time, it really makes me feel at ease that someone like you will be Jin's teacher for this term."

"And don't you dare reject that compliment!" her husband seconded.

The teacher stared at them thoughtfully. _It's unlikely that they're doing this for show. After all, they did take a former member of an alien invasion force under their wing, even as they are aware of who he is._ Sighing, he said, "All right, then."

"Okay, that's enough. I'm sure you must be really starving," said Mr. Hyuga, as he and his wife led the teacher to the kitchen. "Michiyo makes the best curry in town, you know. I'm sure you'll never be disappointed."

"Really now, darling!"

"But what about Jin?"asked the teacher.

"Oh, the delivery list is kinda long. I have set aside his portion, if that's what you're worried about." said Mrs. Hyuga, as they all retreated to the kitchen.

In a not-so-distant corner, two souls in an ubiquitous pickup truck were watching and listening what's going in the store with previously installed bugging devices.

"Waaaaaaaay to suck up to your problem student's folks, Jay."

"Suck-up's not the word to describe him, and you know that. Man, they mentioned curry. I think I'm getting hungry. It must be good to have that with all of that Abarishi beer washing it down."

"Forget it. I'm not risking my precious derrière by riding with a drunk driver."

"I know, I know. Besides, our orders are not to show ourselves to Jay, much less interfere with his mission."

"Dunno. All this surveillance business is just too boring. They should've given me something more...dramatic, like hunting down the Marauders or spying in some hi-tech facility. And I'd better get some sleep soon. I don't want my eyes to go all puffy; I still have a big photo shoot tomorrow in Kanazawa!"

"We're the only ones available, you know. The others already have their hands full with the other Light Children. Until Jay gets a new mobile phone, this is the only way Rachel can track his progress with the Raijin-oh Light Children."

"Woah, you sure sound more of the part of the knowledgeable secret agent."

"Nah, I only got this far because of Odie's nagging about learning the technicalities."

"I don't believe it! You're getting all the good parts, and they leave nothing for the one with the good looks!"

"You'll get good parts if you think more about your mission and less about prancing in front of cameras. Your stint at Tannhauser Shibuya is just a front, in case you forgot."

"And you also forgot that modeling is not just a hobby for me. It's a career! It just happened that our being saviors of the world just caught up with us beyond New Olympia."

"In any case, we must do our job..."the one saying this broke off when a voice came through their equipment.

"Hey boys, something just came up. I need you here."

"But what about..."

"I don't think Neros will dare do something that will reveal their presence. They're discreet attackers. They know that making a premature move on the Raijin-oh Light Children will jeopardize whatever they're planning now. Right now, we need to work on the intel that we've gathered recently. It seems that our agents have made it through a suspicious-looking facility. I'll discuss the details here."

"Finally, some action!"

"Oh well, I guess our friend can take care of himself. Rachel, don't forget to get something to eat before we get there."

"I already did, big boy. Hurry or it'll get cold. But knowing you, cold food's never been an issue."

"You can blame my ancestry for that. Where else will I get all my strength other than an abundant fuel source?"

"Okay, okay. Just hurry."

By that, the pickup truck backed up and drove off into the streets.

* * *

Sighing, the teacher settled in his futon, his helpless look emphasizing the discomfort over the recent developments of his present situation. A while ago, Jin once again raised a fuss over his parents' decision of making the guest sleep in his room. Aside from the fact that there's far too little room in their house, Mr. Hyuga said that this is what he had thought of as the mildest form of punishment. "In fact, your teacher personally asked us not to punish you, but that won't do of course. You have to feel the pain of what you just did in one way of another. Be grateful that I did the mildest form of punishment in fairness to Star-sensei. And just try to do anything stupid while he's sleeping, and you'll really have it."

_Now he'll resent me even more,_ the teacher thought, as he buried his face into the pillow. The room was enveloped in both darkness and silence for a long time, as he lay silently in his pallet, and his student in his bed, who's lying on the side that faces him to the wall. Both didn't say a word until Jin spoke up, "So you did your thing to my folks again, huh?"

"Uh...what?" said the teacher, moving his body sideways.

"Still playing dumb, aren't you? I don't know what you said to them about not punishing me, and I don't intend to know. You really have an annoying talent of making everyone believe that you're a naive, goody-two-shoes klutz. But you're not fooling me. No matter how you try to make yourself look like the good guy, I still know that you're a poser who worms his way into people and plays with them in the palm of his hand."

Another long silence filled the room. Then, the teacher spoke up, "I really can't understand why you hate me that much. I know that doing the usual 'I haven't done anything to you' spiel won't work on you, since you won't even listen. I may not know why, but this is what I know: making myself look good was never in my mind when I first came here. The only thing that's on my mind is making the most out of this chance of becoming a teacher in a place outside the world I know. And to do that, I must do what I believe is right."

"All psychos think what they're doing is right."

"If being concerned for others is a mental illness, then I might as well be deported and locked up in a mental institution."

Jin groaned exasperatedly. "You're so annoying."

The teacher waited for any more verbal railings from the spikehead, but nothing else came. Letting out another sigh, he settled down and concentrated on going to sleep. _This guy's someone I have to live with for the rest of my term. So mote it be._


	6. We're so into its turf

"Why do I have to go along with him?!"

"You must know how hard it is to find a place to stay nowadays. Think of this as a lesson about the hard realities of life."

"But sir, Jin doesn't need to go with me!"

"I'm sorry, Star-sensei, but he has to learn about the consequences of what he's just done. And it isn't just him who's going along with you."

Sunday mornings in Tokyo are still a witness to people who are as much in a rush as they are on weekdays, and today's no exception. As his father had said, Jin was to accompany his teacher in his quest in finding a new place to stay. Although he complained with all his might, the spikehead knows that he can't do anything but obey.

At the mention of someone coming along with them, the teacher said, "Going along with us?"

"It's Maria," Jin butted in, obviously not too happy about it, "she's the one who sent me that text message a while ago. Since it's Taida's day-off, no one's going to drive our truck, so she asked Shinoda-sensei to come along instead."

"Shinoda?" asked our teacher.

"Oh, he's Jin's homeroom teacher in elementary," Mr Hyuga explained.

"I'm already causing everyone too much trouble, that even his former teacher has to be dragged into this," said our teacher with another disconcerted look.

"I don't think he'll think of it as trouble," said the older man, "I think you've already heard of the Raijin-oh incident that started tow years ago."

"Well, I did hear some people mention it to me, but I haven't got the full details," said our teacher, careful as not to reveal the fact that he already knows all of it.

"As you may have just heard, my son was one of those chosen to fight off alien invaders in that giant robot. I know, it sounds kinda ridiculous, but that's just what happened. And in those times, Shinoda-sensei was the one in charge of them. He was among those who guided my son and his class in their most unlikely role as saviors of the world. So that's why they've grown somewhat close to him, and that's why it's highly unlikely that he'll think of helping you out as a bother."

"Guided. Peh," Jin snorted, "All he did was boss me around and get himself in trouble, and I even end up saving him."

"I don't think you'll get far if he's not around," Mr. Hyuga said in a firm voice, "and you won't go anywhere if you keep on giving that attitude to Star-sensei."

Again, the teacher let out an uneasy gaze, fearing that another spat was in progress. To his relief, a honk from outside the store told them that the ones they're waiting for has arrived. The ones in the store promptly went out in the street to meet them, as they emerged from the parked vintage Subaru 360.

"Sorry for the delay!" said Maria, as she and the aforementioned former teacher approached them. "The car broke down on us again and Shinoda-sensei has to push it for at least five blocks just to revive the engine!"

"As expected," Jin muttered, "I don't really get it why someone gets too attached to something even when it becomes a piece of junk."

"It just so happened that this piece of junk is my first car," Mr. Shinoda declared, "You'll only get it when you've grown up and start earning your own money."

"I'm really sorry. Jin seems to be giving everybody a hard time," said Mr. Hyuga. "Oh, by the way, this is Star-sensei."

""Oh, I almost forgot!" said a startled Mr. Shinoda as he hurriedly bowed to our teacher. "I'm Shuntaro Shinoda, homeroom adviser to Jin and his friends both in fifth and sixth grade. It's an honor to meet their present homeroom advisor."

Also startled, our teacher also did a hurried bow. "The pleasure's mine. I'm Jay Star. _Yoroshiku._"

Maria wore an awkward smile and Jin let out an annoyed grunt as they both though, _the two klutzes had finally met._

"Well, it seems that you're all set to go," said Mr. Hyuga, "And oh, Star-sensei, just in case that you can't find anything for today, feel free to stay here for another week."

"I'm afraid I have to decline," said our teacher, as he looked worriedly at the spikehead, for the latter's strong opposition to the idea was too obvious for him not to get the former concerned. "Don't get me wrong; I can't thank you enough for your generosity, but you're already aware about how my presence in your home's gonna affect not only your son, but everyone else as well. I don't want anyone to go through any burden because of me."

"There you go again," sighed the older man, "but the again, what else can I do? Maybe that's just the way you really are."

As the foursome got into the Subaru, Jin's parents waved them a goodbye, and after a hasty admonition to their son to not give our teacher any more trouble, the car drove off into the streets.

"I hope Jin doesn't make things any harder for him," sighed Mrs. Hyuga.

"You know...I'm kinda more worried about Star-sensei," her husband replied, as they watched the car disappear from their sight. "Principal Hashiba wasn't kidding when he said that that guy's too nice for his own good. But you know what? He might just be the one that Jin and his friends need for them to be brought back to the way that they used to be...when they were chosen to save the world."

Meanwhile, inside the car, Mr. Shinoda had just discussed the plans with our teacher, whom earlier said that they should go to the forex program's HQ so that his compensation can be validated. "So after visiting the ATM, I'll be practically your guide in your quest for a new dig," said Mr. Shinoda, "Leave it to me. I've already mastered the art of apartment-searching ever since my college days."

"Don't believe him," said Maria, "If what he's saying is true, then he won't be living in that crummy place that he's in now. You should see it for yourself, Star-sensei!"

"The teaching profession isn't exactly a high-paying job," Mr Shinoda retorted, "and that's why I can't afford anything more than that. But money isn't everything that matters in any job. All the money in the world can't buy the love for what I'm doing, and that's why I'm sticking it out here."

"Sheesh. You're not gonna bore Star-sensei to death with another round of your life-coach spiels, are you?"

"Oh, don't worry about me," said our teacher, "In fact, I can't agree more with what he just said."

"Suit yourself," Jin harrumphed, "After all, you're all mush heads."

"Jin!" Maria said warningly, "Knock it off already! You're already being rude!"

Our teacher sighed, a rueful expression forming on his face as he overheard another spat that was formed on his behalf. Seeing this, Mr. Shinoda said, "Don't think too much of it, Star-sensei. It's not only about Jin. Fact is, there will always be opposition to your mere presence here, given our long history of xenophobia. Still, I don't think that really is much to make a big deal out of. But that will entirely depend on how you'll take things."

"You think so?"

"Quite the armchair shrink, aren't I?" Mr.Shinoda said with a slight tone of disclaiming, as he went on, "But the truth is, even I am at a loss on how to deal with Jin. You could tell that he's quite the troublemaker, even back in the past years that he was under me. But I can tell you that he wasn't as obnoxious the as he is now."

"I guess I have no right to complain, much less do something. He might have become like that because of me."

Mr. Shinoda paused, staring on at the road and taking in the ever-familiar sound of Jin and Maria's bickering. Then, he said the following in a more sober, thoughtful tone, "Maria sure wasn't kidding when she said that you always take the blame for every bad thing that's happening. Not that it's an entirely bad thing; that's actually a sigh that you're very honorable. But sometimes, there are bad things that happen because we have totally no control over them. And there's really no point in feeling sorry for yourself because of that."

Also staring at the road ahead, our teacher took in those words, taking every bit of its exact description of his situation. _In a land of near-suicidal workaholics, here I am taking a lecture on letting loose and putting things in perspective. The irony of it all makes it a bit harder for me to totally get it; but nonetheless, he sure hit the nail on the head about my situation._

And so they remained in their present state, until the have reached the first destination of the day.

* * *

Sighing, our teacher stared on at the fastfood joint's glass panels, watching the passing people and traffic. _This is gonna be harder than I thought, _he gloomily perused, as he recalled how every single prospective apartment's owners turned them down by the very sight of him. The prospect of not finding a new place within the day loomed over him, such that he didn't notice that Jin was already taking his fries and Maria once again picked a fight with him over it, to which Mr. Shinoda said in a distinctively stern voice, "Stop it, both of you! You're making Star-sensei's situation worse than it is now!"

By that, our teacher was snapped out of his stupor and said, "Oh, sorry. You were talking to me?"

Seeing how badly our teacher has spaced out in the earlier moments, Mr. Shinoda wore a look of concern and said, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Sensei..." Maria joined in, also wearing a concerned look, "your face doesn't say that it's nothing. It's obvious that there's something bugging you."

"I'm not really good at hiding my thoughts, aren't I?" said our teacher. Taking another bite off his sandwich, he gathered his thoughts before swallowing and finally said, "Shinoda-sensei...you weren't kidding about the part of the long history of xenophobia. Every single one them seem to be avoiding me like the plague or something."

"They sure were afraid of you," said Mr. Shinoda, "but I don't think it has to do with xenophobia. They must've thought that you may be some kind of a jinx, because of what happened yesterday."

"You have a reason to go all gloomy though," sighed Maria, "at this point, it will be really hard for us to actually find something within this day."

The foursome fell into a definitive silence for a long time, finally getting the direness of the situation. But not Jin, as he stood up, "So you're gonna let him get stuck in my place just like that? Do you think I'm gonna let that happen?!"

"Jin!" Mr. Shinoda said sharply. "You're about to cross the line. Do you think that I'm gonna let you behave that way to Star-sensei?!"

"You just don't get it. It's not about me!" saying this, the spikehead turned to our teacher and said, "Your meek and helpless act is already getting on my nerves. You think that's gonna help you? You only look more miserable! So you can't find a new dig, and everyone's treating you like a jinx. Big deal. And here you are, acting like the world's gonna end. So much for your manhood and Yankee pride!"

"YANKEE?!" Maria and Mr. Shinoda exclaimed, taken aback by this sudden revelation, as our teacher was startled from realizing that another sizable amount of his personal info has been brought out. "How...how did you...?!"

Not the one to beat around the bush, Jin pulled out something from his pocket and slammed it on the table. It was a photograph. "You're so out of it, that you haven't noticed that this has already dropped from your wallet a while ago at the ATM."

"Can we see this?" asked Mr. Shinoda, as our teacher nodded, knowing that any more efforts to hide it will make them suspicious.

Holding up the photograph, the elementary school teacher and Maria surveyed the image. It was a picture of a little boy, wearing a hat and holding a banner, both of the stars-and-stripes theme; as he was held up by a couple, which were apparently his parents. The crowd and the setting suggested that this picture was taken at a Fourth of July parade.

"Is this you, Star-sensei?" said Maria, "Kawaii(cute)!" As she said this, she noticed something at the back of the photo. She flipped it over and took a closer look, scrutinizing the Roman-letter writing and slowly reading out her best attempts at translating it in her language. "'Trace back and forth you may your roots to The Windy City and the shores of Thessaly; but the branches will still lead to us, your parents who love you dearly.' Wow, that was poetic, to say the least."

"That's how my mom writes dedications," our teacher said sheepishly, "She wrote and sent that to me when I was away studying in Canada."

"So that means you're..."

"Born an American," Jin finished, as he sat down, "in Chicago, to be exact. And you decided to settle in Canada sometime after your folks' death, am I right?"

Maria and Mr. Shinoda stared incredulously at the spikehead, still in disbelief that such a deduction can come from a slacker like him. Jin knew what they were thinking and said, "Get off me! I may be a slacker, but I'm not dumb enough not to decipher most of what's written there, or not know what The Windy City is! But that's not the point," Turning to our teacher, he said, "As far as I can remember, Yanks have a lot more pride and backbone than what I can see from you. So, you're weighed down by not knowing what is the right thing to do? What is right for you anyway, going all wimpy?! That's not gonna help us, or even yourself!" Crossing his arms, he harrumphed, "Nicey-nice wimps annoy the hell out of me more than anything else."

"That's it!" says Mr. Shinoda, "Jin, you're going too far!"

"No, Shinoda-sensei," said our teacher, as he took back the photograph that they're looking at earlier, "he's right."

"But Star-sensei! If you keep on letting him get away with the way he's treating you..."

"I understand your concern, and I appreciate it. But, I should also take in what he's trying to tell me. I guess I'm letting my tendency to wallow in self-pity get the better of me again, while the day is still far from over. What I should do is tough it out and keep going; right, Jin?"

Seeing the expression of gratitiude on our teacher's face, Jin wore an awkward, embarrassed look as he said, "Don't get any ideas! I just don't want you to end up in our place. That 's all." Saying this, he went back to eating his meal.

Maria let out a smirk as she whispered to Mr. Shinoda, "Is it just me or did Jin just try to encourage Star-sensei?"

"I dunno. But what amazes me is that how Star-sensei took positively what would have meant to be insults against him." Taking his burger, he declared, "All right, then, let's all finish as soon as possible, so we can cover more ground. We will find what we are looking for!"

As the foursome finished off their meal, our teacher once again, wore a sober look; this time, over the realization that once again, a part of his past was unwittingly spilled. _Even if the guidelines did say that I must not be hesitant with giving out my personal details as not to arouse suspicion; still, this isn't good. I'm becoming too careless. They're already learning too much about me. I shouldn't reveal anything more, ore the mission IS doomed._

* * *

"This is the reason why I don't want Shinoda-sensei and his crappy car to go along with us! Talk about bad timing!"

"Put a sock in it, Jin. You're not the one doing the pushing, for the record!"

Saying only as much, Mr. Shinoda and our teacher continued with the task of pushing the Subaru, which has broken down on them for the nth time. Knowing that any attempts to revive the engine at this point is a long shot, and their mobile phones all ran out of power that they can't call on taxi or towing services; so they have decided to push it all the way to the nearest repair shop, even if that means doing so throughout the highway's deserted stretch.

As Jin and Maria held a long silence in the backseat, it's apparent from their pensive expression that they're not taking everything passively. Finally, Mara said, "Hey, tell me...why didn't you just give that picture to Star-sensei? Why did you scrutinize the thing like that?"

"And just what do you mean by that?!"

"Nothing. It's just that...that I find it odd that you, who don't want to have anything to do with him, would suddenly have an interest in his particulars."

"Get off me!" said Jin. "It's just that he really look suspicious that I'd want to find out more about him as much as I can. But you won't understand anyway, since you're among those who had been suckered by his nice-guy act."

Maria sighed. _His stubborn antagonism towards Star-sensei is slowly eating him alive, _she thought. "You know, it doesn't really help..." but she was cut short when she realized that it was already raining, and the two men had stopped pushing the car and had gone back inside.

"Just when you think that things won't get any worse," said Jin, "We haven't found anything, the car's dead, it's raining, and we're stuck in the middle of nowhere!!"

"If you'd stop complaining for once, our teachers might come up with something." saying this, Maria turned to those seated in the front seat. "Now what will we do?"

As he ruefully surveyed the area around them, Mr Shinoda said,"Jin has a point. For one thing, this isn't the metropolis anymore."

"So we're not in Tokyo anymore?" asked our teacher.

"We still are, only technically, though," said the elementary teacher, "we're already near the Kanagawa border, and much of this area's either underdeveloped or is private property of bigshots, like that one over there."

The others stared at the direction to which Mr. Shinoda is pointing to. True enough, from the size alone of the landscaped lawn and the equally massive mansion in it, it was an obvious show of monetary power of whomever owns this property. But the majestic appeal of the structures was somewhat marred by obvious signs of neglect, such as the unkempt state of the garden, and the dilapidation of the outer structures, including the gate.

"It looks abandoned," said Maria, "What a shame. Such a big and good-looking mansion, left to rot just like that. They could've at least sold it off."

"Maybe it's just too pricey and hard to maintain for anyone to buy it. Practicality's the name of the game nowadays." said Mr. Shinoda.

"But they could've at least sold it off to the government instead. At least they have the means to maintain it."

"The government seems to be only interested in maintaining structures of Japanese origin. Anything else is doomed to decay."

The foursome remained silent, pondering over what Mr. Shinoda just said. They were in that state for the next several minutes when they noticed that it's getting dark, and the rain doesn't show signs of stopping. Finally, Jin can't hold his silence anymore and went, "ARGH! We won't get anywhere if we'll just stay here!!"

"But what else can we do?" asked Maria. "This is the middle of nowhere, as you said..."but she was cut short when she realized that Jin was staring at the mansion. "Oh no. There's no way you're going in there!!"

"Any more ideas?"

"But that's trespassing!"

"It's obviously unoccupied. And if anyone has bought it, they should have at least put up a "No Trespassing" sign."

"Actually, Jin has another good point," said Mr. Shinoda.

"Sensei!" Maria said incredulously, "Even you?!"

"It will soon be dark, and we can't exactly stay in here until tomorrow. Besides, if there's anyone in there, we can just ask for help, and maybe use a telephone. Towing and taxi services aren't active in this area, so there's a slim chance of any passing us here by chance."

After much deliberation, they decided to go inside the area. Taking out their umbrellas and take-out food from the past lunch just in case they don't find anyone in there, the foursome got out of the car and cautiously approached the the gate. After moments of inspection and waiting for any sign of human activity from anywhere within the vicinity, they slowly but surely made their way through the mangled wrought-iron gate and walked to the pathway to the main door.

"Sumimasen(excuse me)!!" yelled Mr. Shinoda, hoping to hear a reply or at least spot anyone, "we're kinda stuck in this place! Can we use a phone or something?"

"After this call was repeated several times, Maria said, "I guess no one's around. Hey..." suddenly, a disconcerted look came to her as she said, "This house...guys, I...I don't think we should stay any longer."

"What's the matter? You scared?"

"Jin, I'm serious! I've heard lots of stuff about this place. They say a mansion in the outskirts is being haunted by angry, aggressive beings. This might be it!"

"Get outta here. Aren't you too old to be scared of ghost stories?"

"Won't you get scared if I tell you that everyone who dared venture into this house all ended up traumatized and so out of it?"

"I'm a skeptic myself," said Mr. Shinoda, "but we can't be too careful Even so, what else can we do? We can't exactly go back and stay in the car."

Maria's worried expression lingered on, unsure whether to make a run for it and stay in the car, or follow the nagging voice in her that tells her to go ahead and use this opportunity to go ghost-hunting. She was trying to reach a decision when she noticed that our teacher was silently staring at the structures with a thoughtful look. "What's wrong, Star-sensei?"

"It's strange," he said, "I've got a weird feeling that I've been here before. But I've never been to Japan before. At least, not as far as I can remember."

As the approached the main portico to the massive front door, once again, they surveyed the whole mansion's structure, momentarily awed as they saw how even the signs of neglect had failed to make a dent on its impressive architecture, but they have no time for reverie, as they hurriedly knocked on the door and repeated their call. Still, no response. Finally, they held on to the bolt and attempted to open it but it was locked.

"Guess it really is abandoned," said Mr. Shinoda, when suddenly, a strong wind blew all over them, along with the gusts of rain that hit them and left them wet.

"What a day," said Maria, shivering from the rain that just hit them. "Now what?"

As if to answer that question, the door behind them ominously creaked and slowly swung back. They nervously peeked at the opening, but there wasn't much to see from where they are.

"Please tell me that we're getting out of here!" said Maria.

"Given the odds of us getting a roving tow service at a place like this without our mobile phones, we have to risk it. We can't stay here for long," Mr. Shinoda's voice sounded calm and composed when he said this, but Jin and Maria aren't oblivious to the fact that his knees are shaking.

"Since you're the one used to this, you might as well go in first," Jin said with an impish grin.

"Oh no! You go on ahead!"

"I'll go first."

The others were startled when they heard our teacher say that. "Star-sensei! But..."

"All of you have already been through a lot because of me. This is the least I can do for everything you've done for me. Besides," as our teacher turned to the door, his eyes shone with a serious, determined glow as he said, "I have a feeling that something's waiting for us in there."

"Something?! Like...the ghost?!" Maria asked, frightened.

"That's what we'll find out."

Looking at each other, they all wore a brave but pensive look, as they followed our teacher in entering the house. As they crossed over the doorway to the cavernous interior of the mansion, the light gave way to darkness, as Maria said, "Since you guys have thought of going in here, has any of you at least brought a flashlight?"

The foursome was caught unawares as suddenly, the door behind them swung shut. They all ran back to it and just as they feared, it was locked. As if that wasn't enough, the lights around them were turned on automatically, revealing the more astounding spectacle of the grand receiving hall, with its gigantic chandelier hanging from a vaulted ceiling, a huge staircase, and a whole lot of furniture covered in white sheets. But they couldn't care less about the grandeur of this place, as their eyes frantically searched for any sign that this was caused by anything but what they're thinking of.

"You weren't kidding when you said that there's something waiting for us in here," Mr. Shinoda said to out teacher, "and whatever it is, it's definitely not happy that we're so into its turf."


End file.
